Authorities in South Africa have put together a team including mine rescue experts to come up with a plan to bring to surface illegal miners

On Friday (Nov. 15), a government delegation led by the police minister visited the site and engaged with the community and relatives of the miners who remain under a disused gold mine in a town south west of Johannesburg.

“Now, in order to achieve that, not only do we need the multiplicity of agencies here, as it is, the case at the moment including South African National Defense Force. But we need the community. We need their understanding. We need their cooperation, but we need their willingness to come across challenges.”

He added that his team was also wary of the fact that the miners may be heavily armed.

According to the police, 369 firearms, 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 5 million rand ($275,000) in cash and 32 million rand ($1.75 million) worth of uncut diamonds have been recovered from illegal miners since the government’s operation began.

Officials have closed entrances to the mineshaft used to bring them food, water and other basic necessities as part of a government strategy to force them to return to the surface and be arrested.

A body believed to be of one of the miners was brought to the surface on Thursday (Nov. 14), and police said they were still trying to determine the person’s identity and cause of death.

Relatives of miners are torn between anguish and hope.